WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study from Heriot-Watt University's School of Social Sciences reveals that adverse childhood experiences not only make people react more negatively to bad events but also influence their responses to positive experiences in daily life.
The research, published in Emotion, was led by Dr. Sophie Potter from Heriot-Watt University in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Leicester and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin. Their study examined how childhood adversity shapes emotional reactions to everyday events-both good and bad.
'Most research has focused on how people with difficult childhoods react more strongly to bad events, like stress or problems,' Potter noted.
'But there's not much on how childhood adversity affects people's ability to feel joy or happiness at positive events, like having a laugh with friends or receiving positive feedback at work.'
Nearly 2,000 adults, aged 35 to 86, participated in the study. Over eight days, they recorded their daily experiences and emotions, with researchers analyzing data from the MIDUS dataset.
'People who faced physical and emotional abuse as children had stronger emotional reactions to daily problems,' Potter explained.
'Not only do they have a more negative reaction to bad events, but they are also less likely to feel happy about good things.'
'In fact, good events appear to trigger negative reactions.'
Dr. Potter highlighted that while about 30 percent of adults in Western countries have faced childhood adversity, most research on its impact is based on a limited subset of individuals. She added that she hopes to expand future studies to a more diverse group.
'There will be thousands of people in the UK and across other western nations who aren't suffering from a major clinical disorder, but childhood adversity may still be having a subtle effect on their daily life,' Potter said.
'Understanding that childhood adversity could be affecting how you experience good and bad events could help people self-regulate and adapt.'
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